Western Sydney Wanderers snatched an important point in a dramatic 3-3 draw with defending Isuzu UTE A-League champions Melbourne City, but captain Rhys Williams suffered a suspected serious hamstring tear.
The Wanderers took a 2-0 lead within nine minutes in Sunday night’s clash at AAMI Park through James Troisi and Jack Rodwell, but Scott Galloway and Jamie Maclaren drew City level before half-time.
Marco Tilio put City in front in the 60th minute with a wonderful goal before Wanderers attacker Keijiro Ogawa levelled eight minutes later.
The brilliant, end-to-end game was soured when a distraught Williams, who has a lengthy injury history, was taken off on a stretcher in the 78th minute, while the Wanderers were contentiously denied a penalty seven minutes later.
Both teams were playing their first game since December 18 after having games postponed due to COVID-19 cases.
Western Sydney were without head coach Carl Robinson through illness, with assistant Labinot Haliti taking the reins.
In the fifth minute, Keanu Baccus teed up Troisi, who unleashed a fizzing strike into the bottom corner.
Four minutes later, Dimi Petratos slipped a pass through to former Manchester City and England midfielder Rodwell, who charged onto the ball and smashed home his first A-League men’s goal at the near post.
City hit back in the 16th minute. After a clever build-up, Scott Jamieson – in his 100th appearance for the club – skidded the ball across the face of goal and Galloway tapped home, with the ball deflecting off Petratos.
City levelled in the 36th minute when Florin Berenguer played a short corner to Jamieson, who whipped the ball into the mixer for Maclaren to rise highest and head home.
In the 45th, Maclaren charged towards the ball at the back post but pulled up and crashed into the goal while putting the tap-in wide.
Six minutes after coming on, Tilio handed City the lead when he received the ball from Andrew Nabbout, cut onto his left and ripped a delightful strike home.
In the 68th minute, Steven Ugarkovic masterfully released Ogawa, who controlled the ball and coolly finished past Tom Glover.
Three minutes later, Mat Leckie had a shot blocked, before Adama Traore just beat Maclaren to the ball and cleared it off the line.
Shortly after, Wanderers goalkeeper Tomas Mejias tipped Leckie’s close range header over the bar.
The Wanderers saw captain Williams injured, then in the 85th minute, were dismayed not to receive a handball penalty when Rostyn Griffiths appeared to move his arm towards a Terry Antonis strike.
Glover brilliantly denied Ogawa with his legs in the fourth minute of stoppage time, then Griffiths blocked Troisi’s shot less than a minute later to preserve a point.
